International Bibliography Of Social Sciences Research Articles

Stress interventions for immigrant parents in the United States: a scoping review protocol.

This review will map stress interventions designed for and implemented among immigrant parents in the United States (US) according to (1) intervention characteristics, (2) participant characteristics, and (3) reported outcomes and measurement tools. In addition to parenting stressors shared with their non-immigrant counterparts, immigrant parents also face immigration stressors. Although stress interventions can effectively manage, reduce, or prevent stress among non-immigrant populations, we know little about stress interventions designed for immigrant parents in the US. This study will be the first to explore stress interventions implemented among immigrant parents in the US. This scoping review will include published, peer-reviewed quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods studies that evaluate stress interventions designed specifically for US immigrant parents with at least 1 child under the age of 18 years. Reported interventions must include stress as a primary or secondary outcome or be labeled as a stress intervention. Stress interventions are broadly defined, with no restrictions on the type of stress targeted (eg, job, general, parenting) or the intervention's nature (ie, prevention vs. management/reduction vs. treatment). A literature search will be conducted in ProQuest's APA PsycINFO and PsycARTICLES, CINAHL Plus (EBSCOhost), ERIC (ProQuest), Embase, MEDLINE (Ovid), International Bibliography of Social Sciences (ProQuest), and the Cochrane Library. Only English-language publications will be eligible, with no date restrictions. Retrieved titles and abstracts will be screened by at least 2 independent reviewers in duplicate. Data will be extracted using a self-developed data extraction tool. Findings will be presented in tabular or diagrammatic format, accompanied by a narrative summary. osf.io/ec39j.

A systematic review of behaviour change interventions to improve maternal health outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa.

The rate of decline in the global burden of avoidable maternal deaths has stagnated and remains an issue of concern in many sub-Saharan Africa countries. As per the most recent evidence, an average maternal mortality ratio (MMR) of 223 deaths per 100,000 live births has been estimated globally, with sub-Saharan Africa's average MMR at 536 per 100,000 live births-more than twice the global average. Despite the high MMR, there is variation in MMR between and within sub-Saharan Africa countries. Differences in the behaviour of those accessing and/or delivering maternal healthcare may explain variations in outcomes and provide a basis for quality improvement in health systems. There is a gap in describing the landscape of interventions aimed at modifying the behaviours of those accessing and delivering maternal healthcare for improving maternal health outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa. Our objective was to extract and synthesise the target behaviours, component behaviour change strategies and outcomes of behaviour change interventions for improving maternal health outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa. We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. Our protocol was published a priori on PROSPERO (registration number CRD42022315130). We searched ten electronic databases (PsycINFO, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, International Bibliography of Social Sciences, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Scopus, CINAHL PLUS, African Index Medicus, African Journals Online, and Web of Science) and included randomised trials and quasi-experimental studies. We extracted target behaviours and specified the behavioural interventions using the Action, Actor, Context, Time, and Target (AACTT) framework. We categorised the behaviour change strategies using the intervention functions described in the Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW). We reviewed 52 articles (26 randomized trials and 26 quasi-experimental studies). They had a mixed risk of bias. Out of these, 41 studies (78.8%) targeted behaviour change of those accessing maternal healthcare services, while seven studies (13.5%) focused on those delivering maternal healthcare. Four studies (7.7%) targeted mixed stakeholder groups. The studies employed a range of behaviour change strategies, including education 37 (33.3%), persuasion 20 (18%), training 19 (17.1%), enablement 16 (14.4%), environmental restructuring 8 (7.2%), modelling 6 (5.4%) and incentivisation 5 (4.5%). No studies used restriction or coercion strategies. Education was the most common strategy for changing the behaviour of those accessing maternal healthcare, while training was the most common strategy in studies targeting the behaviour of those delivering maternal healthcare. Of the 52 studies, 40 reported effective interventions, 7 were ineffective, and 5 were equivocal. A meta-analysis was not feasible due to methodological and clinical heterogeneity across the studies. In conclusion, there is evidence of effective behaviour change interventions targeted at those accessing and/or delivering maternal healthcare in sub-Saharan Africa. However, more focus should be placed on behaviour change by those delivering maternal healthcare within the health facilities to fast-track the reduction of the huge burden of avoidable maternal deaths in sub-Saharan Africa.

Using Twitter-Based Data for Sexual Violence Research: Scoping Review.

Scholars have used data from in-person interviews, administrative systems, and surveys for sexual violence research. Using Twitter as a data source for examining the nature of sexual violence is a relatively new and underexplored area of study. We aimed to perform a scoping review of the current literature on using Twitter data for researching sexual violence, elaborate on the validity of the methods, and discuss the implications and limitations of existing studies. We performed a literature search in the following 6 databases: APA PsycInfo (Ovid), Scopus, PubMed, International Bibliography of Social Sciences (ProQuest), Criminal Justice Abstracts (EBSCO), and Communications Abstracts (EBSCO), in April 2022. The initial search identified 3759 articles that were imported into Covidence. Seven independent reviewers screened these articles following 2 steps: (1) title and abstract screening, and (2) full-text screening. The inclusion criteria were as follows: (1) empirical research, (2) focus on sexual violence, (3) analysis of Twitter data (ie, tweets or Twitter metadata), and (4) text in English. Finally, we selected 121 articles that met the inclusion criteria and coded these articles. We coded and presented the 121 articles using Twitter-based data for sexual violence research. About 70% (89/121, 73.6%) of the articles were published in peer-reviewed journals after 2018. The reviewed articles collectively analyzed about 79.6 million tweets. The primary approaches to using Twitter as a data source were content text analysis (112/121, 92.5%) and sentiment analysis (31/121, 25.6%). Hashtags (103/121, 85.1%) were the most prominent metadata feature, followed by tweet time and date, retweets, replies, URLs, and geotags. More than a third of the articles (51/121, 42.1%) used the application programming interface to collect Twitter data. Data analyses included qualitative thematic analysis, machine learning (eg, sentiment analysis, supervised machine learning, unsupervised machine learning, and social network analysis), and quantitative analysis. Only 10.7% (13/121) of the studies discussed ethical considerations. We described the current state of using Twitter data for sexual violence research, developed a new taxonomy describing Twitter as a data source, and evaluated the methodologies. Research recommendations include the following: development of methods for data collection and analysis, in-depth discussions about ethical norms, exploration of specific aspects of sexual violence on Twitter, examination of tweets in multiple languages, and decontextualization of Twitter data. This review demonstrates the potential of using Twitter data in sexual violence research.

Executive opinion - an interview with

No AccessExecutive opinion - an interview with Nnamdi O. Madichie Nnamdi O. Madichie Search for more papers by this author Published Online:1 Mar 2021https://hdl.handle.net/10520/ejc-aa_ajber_v16_n1_a16SectionsPDF ToolsAdd to favouritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditGMailHotmailYammer AboutAbstractThe creative industries is a multibillion dollar sector that has only recently been recognized for its social and economic contribution especially in these times challenging times triggered by Coivid19 and the attendant lockdowns across the globe. As we rue the restrictions prompted by the lockdown, we all could use some entertainment to maintain our mental wellbeing. Film and Music present such escape and it was only worthwhile soliciting the views of someone who understands the value of entertainment. In this interview, Prince Nnamdi Adigwu talks us through the value of entertainment and how the education sector can plug into that ecosystem. Presented here is a transcript, with light editing for clarity. Previous article FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails None Volume 16, Issue 1 | Mar 2021 AffiliationAdonis & Abbey PublishersThe International Bibliography of Social Sciences (IBSS)EnglishBusiness and FinanceInternational JournalsAccreditationThe International Bibliography of Social Sciences (IBSS)LanguagesEnglish InformationCopyright © 2021, Adonis & Abbey Publishers:All rights reserved Disclosure The authors confirm that the manuscript has been read and approved by all named authors and that there are no other persons who satisfied the criteria for authorship but are not listed. The authors confirm that they have given due consideration to the protection of intellectual property associated with this work and that there are no impediments to publication, including the timing of publication, with respect to intellectual property. Ethical conduct of research The authors state that they have obtained appropriate institutional review board outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki for all human or animal experimental investigations. A signed informed consent document has been obtained from all participants included in the study.

Determinants of the use of medical insurance cover in Zimbabwe

No AccessDeterminants of the use of medical insurance cover in Zimbabwe Kosmas Njanike Joseph Chisasa Kosmas Njanike0 Search for more papers by this author Joseph Chisasa1 Search for more papers by this author Affiliations 0Bindura University of Science Education, Zimbabwe 1University of South Africa Published Online:1 Mar 2021https://hdl.handle.net/10520/ejc-aa_ajber_v16_n1_a10SectionsPDF ToolsAdd to favouritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditGMailHotmailYammer AboutAbstractMany developing countries have health systems afflicted by inequitable access, inadequate funding, inefficiency and poor quality services. The study investigated the factors that influence the demand for medical aid in Zimbabwe. Data from Finscope Survey 2014 was used to estimate probit models and linear probability models for robustness check. Using these data, the demand factors that influence an individual's decision to get medical aid or not in Zimbabwe was analysed. The study found that the factors that affect the demand for medical aid include education, health facilities, current employment, income, financial advice, age, gender and location. Marital status, health status and employment history were found to be insignificant. The role of financial advice cannot be underestimated in Zimbabwe. An initiative by the responsible advisory boards and authorities is important to improve medical aid scheme demand in the country. There is also a need to consider determinants of other related policies or schemes so that suppliers can do a collective bargain of related products. Previous article Next article FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails None Volume 16, Issue 1 | Mar 2021 AffiliationAdonis & Abbey PublishersThe International Bibliography of Social Sciences (IBSS)EnglishBusiness and FinanceInternational JournalsAccreditationThe International Bibliography of Social Sciences (IBSS)LanguagesEnglish InformationCopyright © 2021, Adonis & Abbey Publishers:All rights reservedKeywordsDeterminantsZimbabweMedical insuranceHealth services Disclosure The authors confirm that the manuscript has been read and approved by all named authors and that there are no other persons who satisfied the criteria for authorship but are not listed. The authors confirm that they have given due consideration to the protection of intellectual property associated with this work and that there are no impediments to publication, including the timing of publication, with respect to intellectual property. Ethical conduct of research The authors state that they have obtained appropriate institutional review board outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki for all human or animal experimental investigations. A signed informed consent document has been obtained from all participants included in the study.

Forecasting and financial statement adjustment; The case of retail stores in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

No AccessForecasting and financial statement adjustment; The case of retail stores in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa Mzwandile Atkins Mbambo Odunayo Magret Olarewaju Brian Thulane Ngiba Mzwandile Atkins Mbambo0 http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6408-6868 Search for more papers by this author Odunayo Magret Olarewaju0 Search for more papers by this author Brian Thulane Ngiba0 http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5242-839X Search for more papers by this author Affiliations 0Durban University of Technology Published Online:1 Mar 2021https://hdl.handle.net/10520/ejc-aa_ajber_v16_n1_a14SectionsPDF ToolsAdd to favouritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditGMailHotmailYammer AboutAbstractThe research paper examines the effects of forecasting on the financial statement adjustment for retail stores in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The study used quantitative design method. A questionnaire was designed for this study and 200 copies were issued to five respondents per retail store in each of the two different branches of the 20 stores in KwaZulu-Natal listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. The Exploratory Factor Analysis was employed in this study. Furthermore, a regression test was prepared to estimate the effect of the independent variable on the dependent variable. The findings showed that pricing and inventory forecasting cause financial statements adjustment in retail stores. Thus, it was concluded that retail store forecasts will influence the business flow cycle if mismanaged. To have more reliable financial statements, adjustments have to be made accordingly. Smooth operations in retail is highly dependent on future predictions. Previous article Next article FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails None Volume 16, Issue 1 | Mar 2021 AffiliationAdonis & Abbey PublishersThe International Bibliography of Social Sciences (IBSS)EnglishBusiness and FinanceInternational JournalsAccreditationThe International Bibliography of Social Sciences (IBSS)LanguagesEnglish InformationCopyright © 2021, Adonis & Abbey Publishers:All rights reservedKeywordsPricingInventoryFinancial Statement AdjustmentFinancial statementsJohannesburg Stock Exchange Disclosure The authors confirm that the manuscript has been read and approved by all named authors and that there are no other persons who satisfied the criteria for authorship but are not listed. The authors confirm that they have given due consideration to the protection of intellectual property associated with this work and that there are no impediments to publication, including the timing of publication, with respect to intellectual property. Ethical conduct of research The authors state that they have obtained appropriate institutional review board outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki for all human or animal experimental investigations. A signed informed consent document has been obtained from all participants included in the study.

The LGBTQAI+ community and luxury brands : exploring drivers of luxury consumption in South Africa

No AccessThe LGBTQAI+ community and luxury brands : exploring drivers of luxury consumption in South Africa Nkosivile Welcome Madinga Eugine Tafadzwa Maziriri Tinashe Chuchu Lebogang Mototo Nkosivile Welcome Madinga0 http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4026-7423 Search for more papers by this author Eugine Tafadzwa Maziriri1 Search for more papers by this author Tinashe Chuchu2 Search for more papers by this author Lebogang Mototo0 Search for more papers by this author Affiliations 0University of Cape Town 1University of the Free State 2University of the Witwatersrand Published Online:1 Mar 2021https://hdl.handle.net/10520/ejc-aa_ajber_v16_n1_a9SectionsPDF ToolsAdd to favouritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditGMailHotmailYammer AboutAbstractDespite luxury consumption exemplifying an important component of modern LGBTQAI+ culture, and LGBTQAI+ consumers representing a growing and profitable niche market, limited research has focused on understanding the drivers of luxury consumption among these consumers. Therefore, this study investigates the underlying motivations for luxury consumption among South African LGBTQIA+ consumers. A web-based self-completion questionnaire was used to collect data. A total of 157 questionnaires were collected. Using Structural Equation Modelling analysis, the results indicated that materialism, perceived quality, and brand consciousness positively and significantly influence luxury consumption among LGBTQIA+ consumers. In addition, the results also revealed a negative relationship between exclusivity and luxury consumptions. The findings of this study will help luxury brands and marketers to better understand LGBTQAI+ consumers. Luxury brands need to adjust their plans to accommodate the LGBTQAI+ market and ensure that their marketing efforts are inclusive of this valuable market segment. Previous article Next article FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails None Volume 16, Issue 1 | Mar 2021 AffiliationAdonis & Abbey PublishersThe International Bibliography of Social Sciences (IBSS)EnglishBusiness and FinanceInternational JournalsAccreditationThe International Bibliography of Social Sciences (IBSS)LanguagesEnglish InformationCopyright © 2021, Adonis & Abbey Publishers:All rights reservedKeywordsLuxury ConsumptionMaterialismBrand ConsciousnessLGBTQAI+ Consumers Disclosure The authors confirm that the manuscript has been read and approved by all named authors and that there are no other persons who satisfied the criteria for authorship but are not listed. The authors confirm that they have given due consideration to the protection of intellectual property associated with this work and that there are no impediments to publication, including the timing of publication, with respect to intellectual property. Ethical conduct of research The authors state that they have obtained appropriate institutional review board outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki for all human or animal experimental investigations. A signed informed consent document has been obtained from all participants included in the study.

The effects of fiscal policy shocks on macroeconomic variables in developing countries : a meta-analysis of the DSGE literature

No AccessThe effects of fiscal policy shocks on macroeconomic variables in developing countries : a meta-analysis of the DSGE literature Adem Feto M.K. Jayamohan Arnis Vilks Adem Feto0 Search for more papers by this author M.K. Jayamohan0 Search for more papers by this author Arnis Vilks1 Search for more papers by this author Affiliations 0Bahir Dar University, Ethiopia 1Graduate School of Management, Germany Published Online:1 Mar 2021https://hdl.handle.net/10520/ejc-aa_ajber_v16_n1_a1SectionsPDF ToolsAdd to favouritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditGMailHotmailYammer AboutAbstractStabilization of the economy through fiscal policies has been a broadly discussed subject over many decades. It gained momentum again after the 2008 global recession and is of utmost interest with regard to the COVID-19 crisis. The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of fiscal policy on output and inflation. The data used to conduct the meta-analysis consist of empirical and calibrated fiscal impulse values of Dynamic Stochastic General Equilibrium studies and databases. An increase in fiscal policy shock by one percent leads to a one-period rise in output and inflation by 0.104 and 0.03 percent. Studies that employ the Bayesian method deliver higher effect. The interaction of fiscal impulse and interest jointly affect the output. Fiscal policy intervention in investment has more effect on growth than inflation-friendly government consumption. This study would help policy makers design stabilization strategies, and researchers to further investigate the subject matter and reconcile the contradictory conclusions of previous studies. Next article FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails None Volume 16, Issue 1 | Mar 2021 AffiliationAdonis & Abbey PublishersThe International Bibliography of Social Sciences (IBSS)EnglishBusiness and FinanceInternational JournalsAccreditationThe International Bibliography of Social Sciences (IBSS)LanguagesEnglish InformationCopyright © 2021, Adonis & Abbey Publishers:All rights reservedKeywordsDSGE modelDeveloping countriesFIVMeta-analysisFiscal policy Disclosure The authors confirm that the manuscript has been read and approved by all named authors and that there are no other persons who satisfied the criteria for authorship but are not listed. The authors confirm that they have given due consideration to the protection of intellectual property associated with this work and that there are no impediments to publication, including the timing of publication, with respect to intellectual property. Ethical conduct of research The authors state that they have obtained appropriate institutional review board outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki for all human or animal experimental investigations. A signed informed consent document has been obtained from all participants included in the study.

Not all calendar anomalies are adaptive in the Nigerian stock market

No AccessNot all calendar anomalies are adaptive in the Nigerian stock market Anthony Olugbenga Adaramola Kehinde Oladeji Adekanmbi Anthony Olugbenga Adaramola0 Search for more papers by this author Kehinde Oladeji Adekanmbi0 Search for more papers by this author Affiliations 0Ekiti State University, Nigeria Published Online:1 Mar 2021https://hdl.handle.net/10520/ejc-aa_ajber_v16_n1_a4SectionsPDF ToolsAdd to favouritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditGMailHotmailYammer AboutAbstractThis study evaluated the presence and adaptability of four calendar anomalies in the Nigerian stock market using the daily all-share index (20002017). For the purpose of analyses, this article employed the mean equations of the generalised autoregressive conditional heteroscedasticity (GARCH) through overlapping sub-period methodology. The results showed that there is presence of month of the year effect in the Nigeria stock market, especially the positive May and December and the negative August effect while Halloween, bi-monthly and turn-of-the-month effects are absent. By evaluating time-varying behaviour, the study showed that August effect and turn-of-the-month effect are adaptive while Halloween and bi-monthly effect are not. As a result, the study concluded that not all calendar anomalies are adaptive in the Nigerian stock market. Previous article Next article FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails None Volume 16, Issue 1 | Mar 2021 AffiliationAdonis & Abbey PublishersThe International Bibliography of Social Sciences (IBSS)EnglishBusiness and FinanceInternational JournalsAccreditationThe International Bibliography of Social Sciences (IBSS)LanguagesEnglish InformationCopyright © 2021, Adonis & Abbey Publishers:All rights reservedKeywordsoverlapping sub-periodNSEcalendar effectAMHGARCH Disclosure The authors confirm that the manuscript has been read and approved by all named authors and that there are no other persons who satisfied the criteria for authorship but are not listed. The authors confirm that they have given due consideration to the protection of intellectual property associated with this work and that there are no impediments to publication, including the timing of publication, with respect to intellectual property. Ethical conduct of research The authors state that they have obtained appropriate institutional review board outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki for all human or animal experimental investigations. A signed informed consent document has been obtained from all participants included in the study.

Interest rate, inflation and stock market performance in Ghana : a sector based vector error correction model perspective

No AccessInterest rate, inflation and stock market performance in Ghana : a sector based vector error correction model perspective Ebenezer Larbi Asiedu Daniel Mireku-Gyimah Kofi Kamasa Henry Otoo Ebenezer Larbi Asiedu0 Search for more papers by this author Daniel Mireku-Gyimah0 Search for more papers by this author Kofi Kamasa0 Search for more papers by this author Henry Otoo0 Search for more papers by this author Affiliations 0University of Mines and Technology, Ghana Published Online:1 Mar 2021https://hdl.handle.net/10520/ejc-aa_ajber_v16_n1_a8SectionsPDF ToolsAdd to favouritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditGMailHotmailYammer AboutAbstractThis paper sought to examine the effect of inflation and interest rate on stock returns in Ghana at the sectoral level using monthly data from 2010 to 2016. By employing the Johansen cointegration technique as well as the Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) estimator, the results reveal a negative and significant effect of inflation and interest rate on the overall stock market performance in the long run. In specifics, the sector that is highly affected by inflation changes is the petroleum sector, followed by the consumer staples sector, financial sector and mining sector. With regards to interest rate, consumer staples sector is the most affected, followed by financial sector and mining sector. The paper therefore recommends for prudent macroeconomic policies in the areas of interest rate and inflation in Ghana to derive maximum benefits from the stock markets. Previous article Next article FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails None Volume 16, Issue 1 | Mar 2021 AffiliationAdonis & Abbey PublishersThe International Bibliography of Social Sciences (IBSS)EnglishBusiness and FinanceInternational JournalsAccreditationThe International Bibliography of Social Sciences (IBSS)LanguagesEnglish InformationCopyright © 2021, Adonis & Abbey Publishers:All rights reservedKeywordsInterest ratesStock marketinflationVector Error Correction ModelCointegration Disclosure The authors confirm that the manuscript has been read and approved by all named authors and that there are no other persons who satisfied the criteria for authorship but are not listed. The authors confirm that they have given due consideration to the protection of intellectual property associated with this work and that there are no impediments to publication, including the timing of publication, with respect to intellectual property. Ethical conduct of research The authors state that they have obtained appropriate institutional review board outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki for all human or animal experimental investigations. A signed informed consent document has been obtained from all participants included in the study.

The usefulness of Human Capital Disclosures : perspectives of Human Resource managers

No AccessThe usefulness of Human Capital Disclosures : perspectives of Human Resource managers Michael Olajide Adelowotan Michael Olajide Adelowotan0 Search for more papers by this author Affiliations 0University of Johannesburg Published Online:1 Mar 2021https://hdl.handle.net/10520/ejc-aa_ajber_v16_n1_a15SectionsPDF ToolsAdd to favouritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditGMailHotmailYammer AboutAbstractHuman capital has been described as an important resource for value creation and sustainability in organisations. This is why organisations allocate sizeable resources to human capital issues such as recruitment, training and retraining. The department at the forefront of these activities is usually the Human Resource Department in organisations. The research problem follows from the absence of sufficiently conventional valuation and reporting models to accommodate a comprehensive human capital report in the corporate annual reports. The study therefore seeks to gain an understanding of the nature and usefulness of Human Capital Disclosures from the perspectives of the Human Resource Directors/Managers of the top 60 Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) listed companies in South Africa. The methodology involves the administration of survey questionnaires on the Human Resource Directors/Managers of these companies to determine whether the 91 human capital disclosure checklist developed are provided by them for inclusion in the corporate annual reports of their respective companies and state whether those items are considered important to value creation. Our major finding showed that although the Human Resource Directors/ Managers considered majority of the human capital items important, they were not being disclosed in the corporate annual reports of their companies. The study therefore recommends that information flow from the HR directorate to the finance directorate should be improved upon to enable the latter capture more information on human capital in the corporate annual reports. Previous article Next article FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails None Volume 16, Issue 1 | Mar 2021 AffiliationAdonis & Abbey PublishersThe International Bibliography of Social Sciences (IBSS)EnglishBusiness and FinanceInternational JournalsAccreditationThe International Bibliography of Social Sciences (IBSS)LanguagesEnglish InformationCopyright © 2021, Adonis & Abbey Publishers:All rights reservedKeywordsHuman Capital DisclosuresCorporate annual reportsListed companiesSouth AfricaHuman capitalHuman Resource Directors/Managers Disclosure The authors confirm that the manuscript has been read and approved by all named authors and that there are no other persons who satisfied the criteria for authorship but are not listed. The authors confirm that they have given due consideration to the protection of intellectual property associated with this work and that there are no impediments to publication, including the timing of publication, with respect to intellectual property. Ethical conduct of research The authors state that they have obtained appropriate institutional review board outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki for all human or animal experimental investigations. A signed informed consent document has been obtained from all participants included in the study.

A strategy for the implementation of standard data structures in financial management information systems - a South African case study

No AccessA strategy for the implementation of standard data structures in financial management information systems - a South African case study Silma Koekemoer Rossouw Von Solms Silma Koekemoer0 http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9963-1974 Search for more papers by this author Rossouw Von Solms0 http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9860-2346 Search for more papers by this author Affiliations 0Nelson Mandela University Published Online:1 Mar 2021https://hdl.handle.net/10520/ejc-aa_ajber_v16_n1_a13SectionsPDF ToolsAdd to favouritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditGMailHotmailYammer AboutAbstractStrategy denotes the plans an organisation makes to achieve a set of goals or objectives. An information technology (IT) strategy represents one pillar of a strategy triangle, consisting of a business, organisational and IT strategy, and depends on the perspective, either in support of the business strategy as a master plan for the IT function, or based on the role of IT within the organisation. This paper focused on a strategy for the implementation of standard data structures in financial management information systems. The research employed a pragmatic philosophy resulting in a practical solution to remedy a real problem. It used the design science methodology and principles of case study and action research. The data were collected from 25 municipalities over a three-year period (2014-2016) and culminated in a suitably generic implementation strategy to be used broadly for this and similar IT projects. The research was limited to municipalities in South Africa only, but the resultant strategy should be useable across the borders and into other business sectors. Previous article Next article FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails None Volume 16, Issue 1 | Mar 2021 AffiliationAdonis & Abbey PublishersThe International Bibliography of Social Sciences (IBSS)EnglishBusiness and FinanceInternational JournalsAccreditationThe International Bibliography of Social Sciences (IBSS)LanguagesEnglish InformationCopyright © 2021, Adonis & Abbey Publishers:All rights reservedKeywordsIT governanceStrategyIT ImplementationIT project managementinformation technology Disclosure The authors confirm that the manuscript has been read and approved by all named authors and that there are no other persons who satisfied the criteria for authorship but are not listed. The authors confirm that they have given due consideration to the protection of intellectual property associated with this work and that there are no impediments to publication, including the timing of publication, with respect to intellectual property. Ethical conduct of research The authors state that they have obtained appropriate institutional review board outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki for all human or animal experimental investigations. A signed informed consent document has been obtained from all participants included in the study.

The effects of sovereign ratings on financial stability in South Africa

No AccessThe effects of sovereign ratings on financial stability in South Africa Oliver Takawira John W. Muteba Mwamba Oliver Takawira0 http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7515-1733 Search for more papers by this author John W. Muteba Mwamba0 http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8002-1156 Search for more papers by this author Affiliations 0University of Johannesburg Published Online:1 Mar 2021https://hdl.handle.net/10520/ejc-aa_ajber_v16_n1_a2SectionsPDF ToolsAdd to favouritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditGMailHotmailYammer AboutAbstractThe study examines the effects of sovereign ratings of Financial Stability (FS) using South Africa' quarterly data from 1999 to 2018. Financial stability is important for confidence in the system responsible for managing risk and creation of wealth while linking deficit and surplus units within an economy. Anything that affects this confidence, such as credit ratings, reduces or increases the availability of funds in the financial sector, hampering growth and development. South Africa, as an emerging market with an unpredictable political stability, is vulnerable to sovereign rating downgrades. Negative expectations or speculating actions towards downgrades can negatively affect the macroeconomic variables, leading to financial instability and disturbances in the fiscal or monetary framework. The paper is aimed at identifying the macroeconomic factors that influence FS, with a focus on the significance of the Sovereign Credit Ratings (SCR). Previous studies failed to contextualise and model the relationship between SCR and FS. The analysis used stepwise linear regression model as well as the Structural Vector Auto-Regression (SVAR) Model to assess the impact of unexpected shocks. The Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was used to create the indices for Sovereign Credit Rating (SCRI) and Rating Outlook (ORI). FS was split into four categories—system, conditions, confidence and the government bond index—as a measure of the performance of sovereign bonds. SCRI and other economic indicators were used to check variation in each of the FS categories. The results showed that foreign debt and gross domestic product (GDP) were the most influential determinants in most FS categories, whilst SCRI had very little impact. The other variables of concern on FS include interest rates, GDP growth, unemployment, balance of payments and household debt. Previous article Next article FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails None Volume 16, Issue 1 | Mar 2021 AffiliationAdonis & Abbey PublishersThe International Bibliography of Social Sciences (IBSS)EnglishBusiness and FinanceInternational JournalsAccreditationThe International Bibliography of Social Sciences (IBSS)LanguagesEnglish InformationCopyright © 2021, Adonis & Abbey Publishers:All rights reservedKeywordsFinancial stabilitySovereign ratingsMacroeconomic Indicators Disclosure The authors confirm that the manuscript has been read and approved by all named authors and that there are no other persons who satisfied the criteria for authorship but are not listed. The authors confirm that they have given due consideration to the protection of intellectual property associated with this work and that there are no impediments to publication, including the timing of publication, with respect to intellectual property. Ethical conduct of research The authors state that they have obtained appropriate institutional review board outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki for all human or animal experimental investigations. A signed informed consent document has been obtained from all participants included in the study.

Exploring Racial Disproportionalities and Disparities for Black Families Involved with the Child Welfare System

Background: The overrepresentation of Black families in child welfare systems across the various geographical locations (e.g. America, Canada, United Kingdom) is a growing concern. There are competing explanations for the causes of overrepresentation and recommendations for eliminating racial disproportionalities and disparities in child welfare system. This systemic scoping review will provide a succinct synthesis of the current literature on Black disproportionality and disparity in child welfare.
 Methods/Design: This systemic scoping review will employ Arksey and O’Malley’s (2005) five stage framework. This will direct our search of the seven academic databases (EBSCO: Criminal Justice Abstracts OVID: Social Work Abstracts Pro Quest: PsychINFO, ERIC, Sociological Abstracts, International Bibliography of Social Sciences and Web of Science Core Collections). These seven databases have been chosen due to their interdisciplinary resources on the issue of overrepresentation of Black families in the child welfare sector. The thematic findings will be systemically synthesized using qualitative analysis and presented visually through a chart. Eligible articles for this scoping review include literature that speaks directly to the experiences of Black families involved with the child welfare system. The results of this scoping review will increase the understanding of how racial disproportionalities and disparities emerge, common outcomes and ways to begin tackling this phenomenon for Black families.
 Discussion: In order to tackle this gap in knowledge regarding the overrepresentation of Black families in the child welfare system, this comprehensive scoping review will systematically organize the literature in order to understand how this issue manifests and to fill this gap in research. This methodological approach will allow for the development of practical and intentional methods to move forward in mitigating this issue.

Adherence to exercise interventions in older people with mild cognitive impairment and dementia: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Adherence to physical exercise is associated with multiple benefits in people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia. Given the gap in research, this systematic literature review aimed to determine in the context of exercise intervention studies for people with MCI and dementia: 1. How adherence is defined, monitored and recorded; 2. Adherence rates; 3. Attrition, compliance and adverse events and 4. Intervention characteristics associated with adherence. Embase, Medline, PsychInfo, SPORTDiscus, AMED, CINAHL and the International Bibliography of Social Sciences were searched in November 2018. The data were analyzed through descriptive and correlation/inferential statistics. Forty-one studies were included, 34 involving participants with dementia (n = 2149) and seven participants with MCI (n = 970). Half of the studies operationally defined adherence. Mean adherence rate was 70% [CI, 69-73%]. Adherence was significantly associated with endurance/resistance training, and interventions not including walking. The review found a lack of consistency around reporting of adherence and of key variables mediating adherence, including compliance, attrition and adverse events. Further research using more reliable measures is needed to confirm whether a correlation exists between length of interventions and adherence in participants with MCI and dementia and to identify the factors or strategies that mediate adherence in this population. Relevant implications for practice include a consideration in the development of new interventions of elements associated with higher adherence in this review, such as endurance/resistance training, and the provision of exercise in group formats.

Taking stock of vaccine hesitancy among migrants: a scoping review protocol

IntroductionAt the 72nd World Health Assembly of May 2019, WHO member states prioritised a global action plan to promote migrant and refugee health. Five months earlier, WHO had declared vaccine...

Income and obesity: what is the direction of the relationship? A systematic review and meta-analysis

ObjectiveIt was repeatedly shown that lower income is associated with higher risks for subsequent obesity. However, the perspective of a potential reverse causality is often neglected, in which obesity is...

International law's effects on health and its social determinants: protocol for a systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression analysis.

BackgroundIn recent years, there have been numerous calls for global institutions to develop and enforce new international laws. International laws are, however, often blunt instruments with many uncertain benefits, costs, risks of harm, and trade-offs. Thus, they are probably not always appropriate solutions to global health challenges. Given these uncertainties and international law’s potential importance for improving global health, the paucity of synthesized evidence addressing whether international laws achieve their intended effects or whether they are superior in comparison to other approaches is problematic.MethodsTen electronic bibliographic databases were searched using predefined search strategies, including MEDLINE, Global Health, CINAHL, Applied Social Sciences Index and s, Dissertations and Theses, International Bibliography of Social Sciences, International Political Science s, Social Sciences s, Social Sciences Citation Index, PAIS International, and Worldwide Political Science s. Two reviewers will independently screen titles and abstracts using predefined inclusion criteria. Pairs of reviewers will then independently screen the full-text of articles for inclusion using predefined inclusion criteria and then independently extract data and assess risk of bias for included studies. Where feasible, results will be pooled through subgroup analyses, meta-analyses, and meta-regression techniques.DiscussionThe findings of this review will contribute to a better understanding of the expected benefits and possible harms of using international law to address different kinds of problems, thereby providing important evidence-informed guidance on when and how it can be effectively introduced and implemented by countries and global institutions.Systematic review registrationPROSPERO CRD42015019830Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13643-016-0238-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Contribution and performance of female Community-Directed Distributors in the treatment of onchocerciasis with Ivermectin in Sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review.

The African Program for Onchocerciasis Control (APOC) was launched in 1995 with the main goal being to boost the fight against onchocerciasis in Africa. In 2011, over 80 million people benefited from this intervention thanks to the contribution of 268.718 Community-Directed Distributors (CDD). These significant results obscure the role of women CDD in this fight. Indeed, the insufficient involvement of female CDD has been identified as a concern by the APOC partners early in the program. The present study aims to assess the contribution and performance of women involved in a strategy to control onchocerciasis by community-directed treatment with ivermectin in sub Saharan Africa. We searched the following electronic databases from January 1995 to July 2013: Medline, Embase (Excerpta Medica Database), CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature), LILAS (Latin American and Caribbean Literature on Health Sciences), International Bibliography of Social Sciences, Social Services s, and Sociological s. Two research team members independently conducted data extraction from the final sample of articles by using a pre-established data extraction sheet. The primary outcome was the contribution of female CDD in the control of onchocerciasis by community-directed treatment with Ivermectin. Of 25 hits, 7 papers met the inclusion criteria. For the management of onchocerciasis, female CDDs are elected by the health committee from the communities they will serve. The significant proportion of those treated (about 61%) were women, although only 24% of CDDs were women. Many community members reported that women were more committed, persuasive and more patient than men in the distribution of ivermectin. Some studies have identified underutilization of female CDD as one reason for the limited effectiveness or, in some cases, pure failure related to the distribution of Ivermectin interventions in the fight against onchocerciasis in sub-Saharan Africa. Evidence from this review suggests that female CDD contribute to the treatment of onchocerciasis with Ivermectine in sub-Saharan Africa. Large-scale rigorous studies including Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are needed to compare Community-Directed intervention involving men and women CDDs.

Male involvement in family planning decision making in sub-Saharan Africa- what the evidence suggests

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated in 2012 that 287,000 maternal deaths occurred in 2010; sub-Saharan Africa (56%) and Southern Asia (29%) accounted for the global burden of maternal deaths. Men are also recognized to be responsible for the large proportion of ill reproductive health suffered by their female partners. Male involvement helps not only in accepting a contraceptive but also in its effective use and continuation. The objectives were to assess men's knowledge, attitude, and practice of modern contraceptive methods; determine the level of spousal communication about family planning decision making; and investigate the correlates of men's opinion about their roles in family planning decision making. We searched the following electronic databases from January 1995 to December 2013: Medline, Embase, CINAHL, LILAS, International Bibliography of Social Sciences, Social Services s, and Sociological s. Along with MeSH terms and relevant keywords, we used the Cochrane Highly Sensitive Search Strategy for identifying reports of articles in PubMed. There were no restrictions to language or publication status. Of 137 hits, 7 papers met the inclusion criteria. The concept of family planning was well known to men. In the Nigerian study, almost (99%) men were aware of the existence of modern contraceptives, and most of them were aware of at least two modern methods. Awareness of the condom was highest (98%). In the Malawi study, all of the participants reported that they were not using contraception before the intervention. In Ethiopia, above 90% of male respondents have supported and approved using and choosing family planning methods, but none of them practiced terminal methods. Generally, more male respondents disagreed than agreed that men should make decisions about selected family planning issues in the family. Decision-making dynamics around method choice followed a slightly different pattern. According to female participants, decisions regarding method choice were equally made by women or jointly, with male-dominated decisions falling last. There are many challenges to increase male involvement in family planning services. So far very few interventions addressing these challenges have been evaluated scientifically. Health education campaigns to improve beliefs and attitudes of men are absolutely needed. Additionally, improving accessibility, affordability, availability, accommodation and acceptability of family planning service venues will make them more attractive for male partners.